


Taking a Chance

by Dominique_Icefall



Category: One Piece
Genre: Betrayal, Conqueror's Haki (One Piece), East Blue Saga, Exile, Explosives, Haki (One Piece), Haki - Freeform, Observation Haki (One Piece), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Insert, Shinobi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2020-09-05 19:02:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20278255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dominique_Icefall/pseuds/Dominique_Icefall
Summary: and finding friends, family, and a new reason to keep on living.a better summary to be added once I have one.





	1. Lydia, A wish to Live

**Author's Note:**

> Lydia is a mix of being an O.C. and a self-insert because while she isn't me, I gave her a lot of my own opinions and experiences similar to my own, and her reactions are based on mine, and so-on-and so forth. So, kinda o.c. kinda self-insert. As of right now, I've only written like, partway through the East Blue saga at least partway from the part where I started at. I've changed my mind about a lot of things, so if something doesn't make sense or something I've written later on counters something I had before I'll go through a fix it. 
> 
> I don't even know why I wrote this, or why I keep writing it, but none of my other fanfics are holding my attention so here this is.
> 
> [My Discord Server](https://discord.gg/sG7PspF)

Lydia wasn’t surprised the hot-air balloon’s rushed patch job tore shortly after she relaxed. The holes in her hot-air balloon slowly grew, her descent to the sea below rapidly increasing. So, she needed a plan. The basket of her balloon could float, but only if she cut off the upper balloon part and ditched the fire-contraption in the center. 

The teenage shinobi used the bladed end of her chain-sickle to cut off the balloon. The wind rushing past her as the basket fell ruffled her short blue hair, and left a sharp sting on her skin. Swinging the blade around, she cut all the ropes holding the balloon to the basket. Grabbing the ropes before the balloon fell away, she kicked her feet under the metal fire-contraption. Holding her makeshift parachute as the basket fell from under her, Lydia kicked the metal fire-contraption away. 

“Well...not what I thought would happen…” Lydia muttered. So now she was basket-less, her makeshift parachute still had a few holes in it, and her hands were full the ropes connected to her makeshift parachute. At least she still had her chain-sickle. Crashing into the water with the metal chain wrapped around her waist might be a bad idea though. 

Scanning the sea below her, Lydia found herself falling towards a cute caravel ship with a sheep figurehead. Angling herself towards the ship with a few hard yanks on the ropes, Lydia prepared herself for a crash landing. 

Swinging her feet backward, forwards, and again before letting go of the ropes, she flipped through the air towards the ship. 

“INCOMING!” someone yelled. Lydia didn’t want to damage the ship, so she unwrapped her chain-sickle and flung one end at the crows’ nest. It caught, did nothing to slow her descent, and she quickly extended her chain length as she went spinning around the mast. Her dizzying descent to the ship below slowed down. Her sandals smacked against the wooden deck, the force sending a numbing shock up her legs as she stumbled backward and sank to her ass against the wooden mast behind her.

“THAT WAS SO COOL!”

“Whoa!”

“Idiots!”

Lydia blinked at the noisy group of people in front of her. The swordsman, the narrowed eyes of the woman, the long-nosed fellow, and the starry-eyed straw hat boy.

“Thanks.” Lydia groaned, vaguely remembering the straw hat boy had complimented her crash landing. “Sorry for crashing on your ship.”

“That’s fine. Join my crew.” Straw hat boy said. 

Lydia blinked. The straw hat boy was looking at her in the eye, sitting in front of her. The swordsman rolled his eyes, the orange-haired woman scoffed and crossed her arms. The long-nosed fellow was less panicked but still freaked out.

“I just fell from the sky,” Lydia said. “You don’t know anything about me. You don’t even know my name.”

“True.” Straw hat boy nodded. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy, I will be King of the Pirates.”

“Lydia.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m...gonna live.”

Without context, her dream was pretty bland. Most people wanted to live, but most people weren’t in a kill-or-be-killed chase around the world. He had her name and her dream now though, and she had his. Guess her protest against joining his crew was flimsy, but there’s always the chance he’ll change his mind. Probably when Tasla shows up to take her head. No one wants her to stick around after Tasla shows up.

“Guess I’ll join you,” Lydia said. “If you really want me to.”

Luffy cheered and that was that. Zoro, the swordsman, Nami, the orange-haired woman, and Usopp, the long-nosed fellow, seemed to know and trust each other at least a little bit. Lydia, though she agreed to join the crew, felt highly out of place. She’d give it a chance, but she was a shinobi. If this whole Pirate crew thing didn’t work out she’d break away and continue on her way. She’d find someone able to help her eventually. 

* * *

Lydia followed Nami to the women's quarters. The silence was awkward, to say the least.

“That one’s mine,” Nami said, pointing at the bed with a multi-locked treasure chest at the end. “Don’t touch my treasure.” and then she left.

Lydia sat on the only other bed in the room. It was too different from what she was used too. All soft and plushy. Poking around the room, she found a few hammock supplies. Setting up a hammock in the corner, Lydia wondered what she was doing. 

Why even give the straw hat boy, Luffy, a chance? Why was she sailing with a pirate crew? Why did he even ask her? She had a target on her back, well in her thigh but same difference. Tasla would track her down eventually, and then all their lives would be in danger. She barely escaped with a hot-air balloon the last time Tasla found her. Sailing on a Pirate ship, especially one heading for the grand line, was just as bad as standing still. Tasla would eventually find her again, and it would be worse than a destroyed hot-air balloon.

She’d just have to figure out if staying with Luffy and his crew was worth the risk before then.

* * *

Luffy ate all their food, a month’s worth for an average six-person crew according to Nami, in a single meal. Lydia sat at the railing of the Merry, the crystal end of her chain-sickle cast out in the water like a makeshift fishing line. 

“Any luck?” Zoro asked, sitting down next to her.

“I’ve got a few,” Lydia said. “I put ‘em in the kitchen to dry while I tried to catch a few more.”

“You know how to cook?”

“I know enough, but I’m no chef. If I’m the only one here who knows their way around a kitchen, then food is going to be very simplistic.”

“As long as it’s food, we’ll be fine.”

Lydia chewed on her lip to keep from commenting. She didn’t really have anything else to say, but the silence was so awkward. Maybe it was just her?

Three more fish, and a tangle of seaweed later, Lydia was in the kitchen gutting the fish for cooking. A frying pan and some fish meat cooked in beer done nine times was her plan for the day’s meal. The six fish she’d caught on her first fishing attempt, and the tree fish she’d caught on her second attempt, meant there were two fishes for everyone else, and one for her. She’d have to go back to fishing and try to catch some more for tomorrow. 

Luffy was a food thief, so lunch was a mini-battle zone as Nami smacked the Captain’s wandering hands, Zoro nearly stabbed a rubber hand too close to his plate, and Usopp freaked out over his ‘vanishing’ fish strips. Lydia ate half of her fish while Luffy was attempting to get a piece of Zoro’s fish. Standing up from the table, she put her plate, with the rest of her fish, in front of Luffy before excusing herself from the too-small room. 

“THANKS, DIA!” Luffy shouted over the noise of the mini-food battle. Lydia smiled, spinning her chain-sickle overhead, and casting it out to sea. Sitting at the railings, her feet over the edge and her forehead against the wood, she enjoyed listening to the sounds of the others as they enjoyed their meal.

She still had no idea why she decided to stay. No clue why Luffy even wanted her there. Maybe somethings just didn’t need answers.

Her fingers brushed against the bandage wrapped around her left thigh, and the metal device implanted there. 

“What am I doing?” She wished the sea had an answer for her, but she wasn’t sure there was one.


	2. The Island of Strange Animals

After lunch, everyone went off to do their own thing. Nami sat down on a barrel looking over her maps, Usopp was staring broodingly out at the horizon by the figurehead, Zoro sat down by the railing for a nap. Luffy was doing something with a black flag and paint. Lydia stared at the rolling sea below, could feel the sun, warm against her bare skin. It was so peaceful she could meditate. 

The Usopp ran onto the deck, “Attack them, men! Attack!” swinging his wooden mini staff about as he fought against imaginary opponents.

Zoro yawned, but otherwise, no one reacted to the sniper’s scene. Lydia muffled her giggles, as Usopp deflated at their lack of reaction. 

“All done!” Luffy said, lifting the black flag he’d been working on. Turning around, he knocked Usopp aside, the sniper falling dramatically to the deck. 

Lydia blinked at the monstrosity Luffy held. It was a really wonky looking Jolly Roger wearing a straw hat. 

“Look, a Pirate Flag!” Luffy said. “Since we’ve got a ship, and Usopp and Lydia, we need our own mark!”

“That’s our mark?” Zoro asked, no longer napping. It would seem Luffy had the whole crews’ attention. 

“Whadya’ think? Nice, huh?” Luffy grinned, still holding the horrifying flag.

“Well...It’s definitely original.” Lydia said. “No one else would have a flag like it.”

Which, considering it looked like a two-year-old had drawn it with a broken hand, was true.

“A pirate flag is a symbol of death. A symbol of fear.” Zoro said. 

Lydia stood next to the others, as they looked at the awful flag. Zoro had a point there, people would be more likely to laugh at us than fear us with a flag like that.

“I do sense fear, though...fear of your talent,” Nami said, a hand at her chin as she eyed the flag with clear distaste.

“Wish you would’ve told me first!” Usopp said, wagging his finger at them scoldingly. “Don’t forget about me, the gifted artist!”

“Gifted artist?” Luffy asked.

Lydia just rolled her eyes as Usopp claimed to be an over fiffty-year-old graffiti artist. He had to be around her own age, maybe a year or two older at the most. In fact, she was sure no one on the crew was over twenty-five years old. 

Usopp was in fact, a much better artist than Luffy. A proper flag was made, and as it was hung up, Lydia hummed a symbolic pirate melody she knew. The words were a bit sad, and sure the melody itself was like something from a horror story, but she didn’t know a lot of songs that weren’t lullabies. 

“Hey, Usopp! Draw one on the sails too!” Luffy said.

Well, at least they were happy. Lydia went back to fishing, Zoro dropping down next to her with a mug of beer.

“...want some?”

“No, but thank you Zoro.”

He huffed and drank his beer. Lydia smiled with the sounds of Luffy and Usopp behind her, and Nami yelling at them, and Zoro next to her, it was nice. 

But how long would it last?

* * *

A storm, dark clouds and the distant rumbling of thunder, threatened their peace. 

“Is this the right way?” Luffy asked, looking at the dark mass of clouds in the distance. “It seems kinda dangerous…”

“I don’t even know where we’re going,” Lydia muttered. Considering she’d just been running to ‘somewhere far away’, it wasn’t really an issue. But maybe she should’ve asked where they were heading earlier.

“Wait,” Nami said, looking over her maps. She rushed to the front of the ship, looking through her binoculars and hold her maps in one hand. “That’s it! That’s the place, no doubt about it.”

“Do you see something neat?” Luffy asked.

“The Legendary treasure Island,” Nami said.

“I’ve heard of that before…” Usopp said.

Lydia listened to them talk about the legendary island she’s never heard of before. Which, she’s never been in East Blue before so whatever legendary or ‘everyone knows this’ things are common for East Blue are not common for her. If they were in West Blue though, well, she didn’t know a lot but she knew enough. Apparently this treasure island Nami was talking about was protected by a god, according to Nami. 

“I am not a Priestess,” Lydia muttered, and that wasn’t going to change if she met some deity in East Blue.

The storm got worse, Usopp was clinging to the railing freaking out about ‘god’s wrath’. If this was the wrath of whatever god protected this island, then she knew this ‘god’ was too temperamental for her liking.

“To treasure island!” Luffy said, sitting on the figurehead. While Zoro and Usopp manned the sails, and Nami navigated them through the storm, Lydia went to stand next to the figurehead. The storm was harsh, winds and waves slamming against their ship with uncaring viciousness and the lighting sent bright lights dancing across her vision but they made it to shore. 

“Explore?” Lydia asked.

“Yep!”

This should be different, Lydia mused. She’s never explored an island with other people before.

* * *

This island was a creepy one, that was for sure. Lydia eyed the plant life, that seemed a bit more sentient than plants had any right to be, to the oddly shaped animal trails through the trees. This island was a weird one, that’s for sure. 

“It’s said that an extraordinary treasure rests somewhere on this island,” Nami said. “Supposedly lots of pirates have landed here in the past but they’ve all fled in terror before they could even look for it.”

“In terror?” Luffy asked. 

“Supposedly, one pirate’s face suddenly changed into a boar’s face, and another’s mustache stretched out and strangle him like snakes,” Nami said.

“That’s not real, right?” Usopp asked, practically quaking in his boots.

“Though,” Nami said, tone suddenly lighthearted. “I’m sure the stories are exaggerated somewhat!”

“D-don’t scare me like that!” And now Usopp was hiding behind Zoro.

“Honestly, that doesn’t sound half as bad as some of the divine punishments I’ve heard of,” Lydia said. “Whatever god protects this place is oddly merciful comparatively…”

“I’m hungry,” Zoro yawned, walking towards a tree and leaving Usopp without a protector. “I’m going to sleep.”

Lydia stood near Usopp, if he needed someone to protect him she would do her best. She wasn’t sure how good she would be as a protector though…

“How can he sleep in a creepy place like this?” Usopp asked.

“Yeah. What kind of nerves does he have?” Nami agreed.

“He’s got his swords,” Lydia said. “And if something were to happen where he didn’t have his swords nearby, I highly doubt his muscles are just for show.”

Nami and Usopp shot her a look. Lydia shrugged. What did they want her to say? 

* * *

Bunny-snakes, rooster-dogs, and panda-bats among other very odd-looking animals made this island home. The forest’s shadows seemed to have dozens of glowing red eyes smothered in an oppressive silence.

“W-what is this?” Nami asked as weird animal sounds echoed from the trees.

**“Leave…”** a male’s voice said, echoing ominously from above. 

“Who said that?” Luffy asked.

**“Leave!” **the voice repeated.

“Where’s it coming from?” Nami asked.

“Above us,” Lydia said. “I think…”

**“I am this island’s protective god! Leave this island at once if you value your lives!”**

“Protective god?” Luffy asked.

“Not one of mine,” Lydia muttered, tightening her grip on her chain-sickle. 

**“You guys are pirates, aren’t you?”**

“Yeah,” Luffy said.

**“Pirates, just as I thought.”**

“Why would a god ask something like that?” Nami asked.

“Maybe he doesn’t get as many visitors as the rumors make it seem,” Lydia said. 

**“Listen! Just try taking another step into the forest! The instant you do, will you receive my divine punishment and meet your doom?”**

“How should I know?” Luffy asked. “Why are you asking me?”

“I’d like to refuse your divine punishment,” Lydia said. “Please.”

“What’s the deal?” Nami asked.

“This guy seems kinda weird,” Luffy said.

**“What did you say, straw hat boy?”**

Dozens of animals came out of the forest, zebra-chicken, pig-lion, a small goat-giraffe, and more surrounded us. 

“W-what are these things?” Usopp asked.

“Animals,” Lydia said. “Most likely.”

**“Humans I completely transformed when they came to look for treasure.”**

“Then you really are a god?” Usopp knelt to the ground, palms together as if in prayer.

Lydia hummed but kept her chain-sickle in hand. Whoever this was, they weren’t getting her worship. No matter what divine feats they may have done.

“Look at all these weird things…” Luffy said picking up a pig-lion thing. “Is this a lion?”

“Are you sure it’s not a pig?” Nami asked.

The pig-lion took a bite of Luffy’s face, and his cheek stretched as the pig-lion pulled. Luffy dropped the pig-lion to rub as his cheek.

**“W-what exactly are you?”**

“I’m a rubber person!” Luffy said, tugging on his cheek. “I ate a devil fruit!”

**“Devil Fruit? Don’t be absurd!”**

“A pig-lion just stretched his check beyond what a normal human is physically capable of,” Lydia said. “And you say it’s absurd? What kind of fake god are you?”

**“Ah-well I heard rumors about them long ago when I used to be a pirate, but…”**

“When you used to be a pirate?” Nami asked.

**“N-no! I’m not reminiscing about old times at all! No, I don’t want to hear about old times!”**

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who said it.” Luffy said.

“Are you really a god?” Nami asked.

**“Shut up! If you won’t leave, then receive my divine punishment!”**

Boards sprang up, sending wooden stakes flying at them. Lydia spun the bladed end of her chain-sickle, knocking away the wooden stakes that got too close her. 

Large rocks fell from the trees. She spared barely a glance to see one hit Luffy on the head, but he was fine. 

“Now you’ve done it, God!” Luffy said.

**“H-how are you all right?”**

“There you are!” Luffy said, turning to face a bush.

**“Don’t move-” ** Luffy moved closer to the bush. **“I told you not to move!”** The bush now had a gun. Lydia checked the others, Zoro was still napping, Nami was good, Usopp was nearby, a gunshot by Luffy, so Lydia refocused. Nami and Usopp screamed, but the bullet did nothing more than stretch a bit of Luffy’s skin before being launched into the dark void of the sky above.

“That can’t be!” the voice of ‘god’ was no longer ominously echoing around them, instead it was coming from a bush.

“Hey, God or whoever! Pistols don’t work on this guy.” Nami said.

“But they surprise me, so I don’t like ‘em!” Luffy said, fixing his straw hat on his head.

“M-Monster!” the bush ran-or well, hopped away.

“O-over there!” Usopp said pointing at the rapidly hoping bush. Luffy ran off after it-him-the bush.

“Here it is.” Nami picked the bush’s pistol from the ground. “His pistol.”

Nami handed it to Usopp, who had pockets, to hold on to it before they ran off after Luffy and the talking bush.

* * *

“What is this?” Luffy asked as the four of them stood around the bush.

“This is a god?” Usopp asked.

Lydia crouched down, her hands on her thighs as she eyed the weird thing.

“Looks like the talking bush was potted in a treasure chest…” Lydia said. “A small treasure chest…”

And then the bush-in-a-treasure-chest sprung feet and ran away until it smacked into a tree.

“This day just gets weirder and weirder,” she muttered standing back up to follow the others to the oddity.

The storm clouds parted, and the sun shined brightly in the sky. The bush-in-a-treasure-chest-with-feet had a human face. 

“Stand me up, already!” the bush-man said. “I said stand me up!”

“He’s a person,” Nami said.

“Neat! Is he a scrub brush?” Luffy laughed.

“What’s so god-like about you? You thought you could trick us!” Usopp said.

“Shut up!” Bush-man said. “Stand me up, I say!”

“Someone never learned to say please,” Lydia said, while Usopp and Luffy put the bush-man back on his feet.

“Don’t act all big after you’ve fallen over,” Usopp said.

“I-I'll let you go for today!” the bush-man said, before attempting to run away. Luffy gripped the edge of the treasure chest, his arm stretching out as the bush-man ran away.

“Wait!” Luffy said.

The bush-man ran until he couldn’t and then stopped. Luffy laughed, and then was pulled towards the bush-man sending them both flying off a cliff. 

Lydia ran towards the cliffside, Nami, and Usopp leaning over the edge.

“Luffy!” they said. 

Luffy grabbed onto a branch or root growing out of the cliffside with one hand, the other catching the bush-man before he sank into the ocean. Then they were sent flying back up the cliffside, so Lydia took a step back, and watched them soar up into the sky.

  
“Well,” She muttered. “That was interesting…”

* * *

Bush-man needed a bandage, but otherwise, their crash landing was much better than it could’ve been. Bush-man got a lot of love from the animals as they sat around the cliffside. Luffy sat on a large rock, Nami, Usopp, and Lydia sat on the grass. Bush-man had like, six animals snuggling up to him.

“You’re a pretty popular guy, God…” Nami said.

“So, you used these guys to scare off everyone who came to the island?” Usopp asked.

“But I’ve never seen a person stuffed inside a treasure chest before!” Luffy said.

“I’ve never seen a living person in a treasure chest,” Lydia agreed. Nami raised an eyebrow at her, but Lydia shrugged. She didn’t feel like now was a good time to explain how or why ‘gifting the corpse of one's enemies’ was a thing on her home island. 

“Are you a boxed and sheltered son?” Luffy asked bush-man. 

“Yeah,” Bush-man said. “I’ve been overly pampered since I was just a little boy...Of course, I’m not! I can’t get out of this box. I’ve been alone on this island and in this box for twenty years now!.”

“Twenty years?” Nami asked.

Lydia shivered. She could barely handle sitting at the table to eat with the others in the Galley, being trapped in a small box for twenty years? The thought gave her chills.

Usopp pulled a pink thermos from his bag and poured himself a hot drink. He took a sip, let out a breath. “You’ve been all alone on this island for twenty years?”

“My hair and mustache are just as you can see.” bush-man said. “Even my eyebrows got connected…”

Twenty years without a bath, or shower or anything? Lydia was glad it wasn’t her, honestly. 

“It’s also been twenty years since I’ve conversed with anyone like this,” Bush-man said. “Can you understand how painful this is?”

“Well, if you scared everyone else away…” Lydia mused. “It would make sense why no one stuck around for a chat.”

“It seems ridiculous,” Luffy said.

“What did you say?” Bush-man said.

Lydia turned at the sound of footsteps coming closer, to see Zoro had finally decided to join them.

“Oh, here you are…” It would seem the swordsman just woke up too. 

“You were asleep this whole time, even after all that happened?” Nami asked.

Zoro grabbed Usopp’s drink and sat on a nearby rock. He took a few gulps of the drink. Sighed. Then looked up to see the bush-man staring at him. Lydia muffled her giggles in her hands as Zoro fell off his rock in shock.

“W-who’s this guy?” Zoro asked.

“Notice sooner,” Nami said.

“He’s a guy stuffed in a treasure chest!” Luffy said.

Lydia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. This whole day just keeps getting better.

“Are you a boxed and sheltered son?” Zoro asked. 

Lydia couldn’t help it anymore, Luffy had asked that question and now Zoro, and it was glorious. She leaned against Luffy’s rock as she giggled helplessly. Her shoulders shaking and tears of amusement gathered in the corners of her eyes.

“Yeah,” Bush-man said, again which just made Lydia’s helpless laughter worse. “I’ve been overly pampered since I was just a little boy...Of course, I’m not!”

“Zoro!” Luffy jumped onto bush-man's treasure chest and began tugging on the bush-man. “Gimme a hand!”

And so Zoro got onto the bush-man's treasure chest, and the two began pulling at the bush-man.

“What are you doing! Stop it! You’re pulling my head off!” Bush-man said.

“You’re right, you can’t get out,” Luffy said, no longer trying to force bush-man out of his treasure chest.

“Don’t be crazy!” Bush-man said. “Because of my lack of exercise over the years, this treasure chest fits together with my body now.”

The amount of weight loss he must’ve experienced for that to be true killed Lydia’s amusement. The box is so small, and his knees poke out of the top, with his feet at the bottom, he must’ve been short when he first got in the treasure chest, but now he’s gotta be tiny, and thin, getting out of that box could actually kill him…

“I’m so glad that’s not me…” Lydia whispered. Usopp nodded his agreement next to her, so at least she knew someone might’ve been listening to her mutterings. 

“He’s a strangely annoying guy,” Zoro said. 

“But who are you guys?” Bush-man asked. “You’re nothing like any of the other pirates who’ve come here.”

“I’m Luffy!” Luffy sat back down on his rock. “The man who’s gonna be King of the Pirates!”

“W-what?”

“I’m gonna be King of the Pirates, and get the One Piece!” Luffy said again. 

“One Piece? Don’t tell me you’re seriously planning to enter the Grand Line?” Bush-man said.

“We even have a map of the Grand Line,” Luffy said.

“Don’t take it lightly! That place is Hell or a graveyard!” Bush-man said. “I once saw pirates who’d managed to escape from the Grand Line. They looked almost like people who had died and lost their souls. Something incredibly horrific must’ve happened, or they must’ve run into monsters or something...not a single one of them even tried to speak. On top of that, rumors about the One Piece spawn even more rumors so there’s no telling what’s true or not. Some twenty-odd years since the start of the Great Pirate Era the One Piece is already a dream within a dream beyond a legend!”

Lydia rolled her eyes. Twenty years of rumors for the One Piece? As if something older than him was going to stop him. She highly doubted Luffy started this adventure of his thinking it would be easy.

* * *

Luffy was looking at a map with bush-man, so Lydia sat next to them, even though she couldn’t read the map any better than they could. Nami stood over them, hands on her hips. 

“Even if we do enter the Grand Line, earning as much money as we can then escaping is the best idea,” Nami said. 

“I will find the One Piece!” Luffy said. “I have good luck.”

“I have no luck,” Lydia muttered. 

“Where does all that confidence of your come from?” Nami asked.

“I will get it! You’ll see.” Luffy laughed.

“Whatever you say…”

* * *

Bush-man decided to stay on his island with his strange animal friends, even after learning the treasure he’s been guarding for twenty years was never there. After saying their goodbyes, they all boarded the Merry and set sail, heading towards the next adventure of their journey.

Nami was back to looking over her maps, Usopp was off being Usopp like Luffy was off being Luffy, and Zoro sat down next to her again as she cast out her crystal in hopes of catching some more fish.

“I hope our next stop gives us a chance to resupply…” Lydia said. 

“That’d be nice,” Zoro said.

They sat together, enjoying the temporary peace of the ship. Until a crash somewhere in the ship sent Luffy and Usopp running across the deck, Nami chasing after them with a small wooden staff.

“This is nice…” Lydia giggled into her arm. It was really nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to finish the Arlong arc this week, but no such luck. I got myself stuck and only just figured out how to unstick myself, but I'm not sure the idea I had is actually what I want to do so...maybe I'm still stuck on that part. I'll figure it out though, I'm certain of it!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. The Seafaring Cook

Lydia was thinking about her next potential meeting with Tasla, _ would she run? Would she fight? _ , when Luffy walked onto the deck with a crate.

“Those are cannonballs,” Nami said, looking at the crate.

Zoro was napping nearby, Lydia had decided to sit somewhere out of the way to ponder her chances of survival and the swordsman decided to lay down near her. Nami was on the deck, a lawn chair where she’d been resting in the sun. Usopp and Luffy were by the cannon on deck, the crate of cannonballs at their side.

And then Luffy fired a shot and missed whatever target he’d been aiming for. Lydia glanced at the sea, there was a rock in the direction Luffy was aiming and it was the only thing out there but he’d still missed it by a mile.

“What are you guys doing?” Zoro asked, the cannon shot having woken him from his nap.

“Cannon practice!” Luffy said.

Usopp took a turn firing the cannon, and Lydia watched as the cannonball hit the rock and set smoke rising into the air. 

“Probably caused a rock slide,” she mused.

“Awesome!” Luffy cheered. “You hit it on your first try!”

“Whadya think? I’m awesome when it comes to aiming! Impressed?” Usopp said.

“It’s settled,” Luffy said. “You’re our sniper!”

Lydia sighed. If they weren’t being recruited for their skills, and only being given positions, later on, was Luffy just asking anyone with the potential to what, Be his friend or something, to join the crew? Well, at least she knew why he’d asked her to join when she crashed on his ship. He must’ve thought she was interesting or something.

* * *

A short while later a crash came from the other side of the ship.

“Come out, you damn pirates!” a male voice yelled.

Lydia followed the others onto the deck, having been in the kitchen starting to cook the fish when she heard the shout. 

“What the...what the...who are you?” Luffy asked. 

“Are you nameless pirate wannabes trying to kill my partner?” the man with the word ‘sea’ written on his face said, before attacking Luffy in anger. The man did more damage to Merry than to Luffy, and that was honestly a bit annoying.

“I dunno what’s going on,” Luffy said, dodging the man’s attacks. “But stop breaking our ship!” and then Luffy grabbed the man’s head and sent him flying into a wall. 

“That’s one way to solve that problem.” Lydia mused, heading back inside to finish making breakfast.

* * *

“So, Zoro’s friend has scurvy?” Lydia asked as Nami filled her in on the happenings on deck. 

“Yep.” Nami said, popping the ‘P’ with a sigh. “Honestly, if we hadn’t collected all those limes on the island with the strange animals we’d be at risk for scurvy ourselves.”

“Speaking about food,” Lydia said. “Breakfast is done!”

* * *

Night came around, and everyone sat around the table in the galley. Lydia mat by the door, her knees pulled up to her chest, absently listening to her friends talk while she keeps herself calm. The room wasn’t too small, and the lanterns kept it bright, but with the group of them in there it felt smaller than it was. Or maybe it was the shadows, swaying with the waves, creeping closer to her. Threatening to swallow her whole. To steal away her sight in the darkness, where she could scream until her voice was gone and no one would ever hear her, where the walls got closer and closer until she was boxed in on all sides-

“This is a lesson,” Nami said, referring to Yosaku’s scurvy, while she was writing in the logbook. 

“Yeah.” Zoro agreed. “There’re pitfalls like this when you travel on the sea for a long time…” 

“Which means on the ship, we have to consider the distribution of nutrients using limited kinds of food…” Usopp said.

“When we think about it carefully, it’s a necessary ability,” Nami said.

“A necessary ability, huh?” Luffy said, taking a bite of a loaf of bread.

“Not a skill I have,” Lydia said, pushing down her senseless panic. “I can make the food edible but that’s about it.”

“Okay, then!” Luffy said. “A seafaring cook!” 

Nami and Usopp shot Luffy a confused look. 

“Let’s go find a seafaring cook!” Luffy said again. 

“Aha! Then we’ll be able to eat yummy food even on the ship.” Usopp said.

“I try my best,” Lydia muttered. 

“If you’re looking for a cook like that, there’s a perfect place for that.” Johnny, Zoro’s not sick friend, said.

“Alright! Where’s it?” Luffy asked.

“But this place is close to the Grand Line,” Johnny said, walking to stand in front of Zoro. “and you hear rumors there about the hawk-eyed man you’ve been looking for.”

Zoro tightened his grip on his swords, a smirk on his face. 

“We’ll head north-northeast!” Johnny said.

Lydia couldn’t push aside the suffocating pressure of the small room and was the first of the crew to head to bed. The others were much too excited about getting a real cook to head to sleep just yet, and honestly, Lydia was sick of her own cooking too. Just because it was edible didn’t mean her cooking was good.

* * *

The Baratie, a sea restaurant, was a ship that looked like a giant fish. Lydia absently wondered if it was some sort of pun. While the others’ were getting excited over the fish-ship restaurant, Lydia watched a Marine ship sail up beside them. It was large, with several visible cannons, and bright blue. She usually avoided the Marines, the World Government didn’t much bother with the Dolbron Isles as a whole, but there were times when a Shinobi went on a mission and came back with a bounty from the World Government. 

Lydia went to hide in Merry’s kitchen and watch the Marine ship from the window. During the day when it was only her in the kitchen or the galley, it seemed much larger than it did at night when everyone was gathered inside. She was looking forward to Luffy recruiting a sea-cook though because the kitchen was still too small for her comfort. 

Being afraid of small, dark spaces was a weakness. Lydia knew it, and she’s tried to get over it. She managed last night, for a short while, but she wasn’t sure if the nightmares afterward were worth it. 

The marine ship launched a cannonball at them. Lydia gripped the side of the sink as Merry shook. The cannonball didn’t hit them though, so Luffy must’ve done something reckless again. Peaking out the doorway, Lydia watched as the cannonball crashed into the Baratie.

“Well then.” She mused. “This should be interesting.”

* * *

Luffy went to the Baratie to apologize to the one in charge, but it was taking him a while so Nami decided they should all follow him in on the bounty hunters’ smaller ship after anchoring Merry. Lydia had a thigh pouch on her right leg with a few thousand beli, but she’s been saving it for an emergency and wasn’t sure if eating at a fancy restaurant counted as an emergency or not.

A loud crash from inside the restaurant made her worried, as Usopp and Nami tied the smaller ship to the side of the Baratie. 

“I’m going to see if it’s safe…”Lydia said, unwrapping her chain-sickle from her waist.

“Be careful,” Nami said, glancing back at the Marine ship nearby.

“Right.”

So the blue-haired teenager stepped into the restaurant, ready for anything.

A broken table, a Marine standing over a blond man in a suit, and a woman sitting wide-eyed and possibly in shock, at the mess of broken dishes and upturned food on the floor. 

“Aren’t you acting a bit too big for your britches?” the Marine said stepping on the blond’s hand. “I’m a customer! I’m paying you.”

The woman in the red dress stood up, “Please stop,” and rushed to the Marine’s side. “Fullbody, please,” the woman said, trying to pull the Marine away. 

“Shut up.” The Marine, Fullbody, said knocking the woman down. 

“Can money…” the blond in the black suit said. “Satisfy your hunger?”

“What’d you say?” Fullbody asked

“I’m asking, ‘can it satisfy your hunger’?” and then the blond moved, attacking the Marine with a rapid series of kicks. 

Zoro, Nami, and Usopp walked in behind her, and Lydia was quick to fill them in on the drama of the evening.

“A fight?” Zoro asked. 

“Looks like it,” Lydia said.

“At sea, provoking a cook is the same as committing suicide. Remember that.” the blond, who the other cooks on the stairs were calling Sanji, said.

“That’s hot…” Lydia muttered, a blush on her cheeks. 

Zoro scoffed. Nami rolled her eyes, and Usopp blinked at her in confusion. Another cook walked into the dining area, chanting a motto about customers, and got very obviously angry when he saw Sanji holding the beaten up Marine.

“You again Sanji!” the new cook on the scene said. “What’re you doing to our customer? Of all people, he’s a Marine Lieutenant!”

“What is it,” Sanji asked. “You damn cook? Don’t call my name as if I were your friend!”

“A damn cook has no right to call me ‘damn cook’! Restaurants can’t exist without customers! Hurting our precious customer...what do you think you’re doing?”

“What’s the big deal with customers?” Sanji asked. “He treated the food carelessly. On top of that, he insulted cooks.” Sanji dropped the Marine Lieutenant. “So I taught him a lesson.”

“What’s with this restaurant…” the Marine said. “No restaurant should treat its customers like this. I’ll shut it down…”And now the man was hysterical. That was great, really filling the civilians here with faith and trust in the Marines there, Buddy. “I’ll shut down this restaurant! I’ll shut it down! “I’ll contact the government immediately and-” the Marine said.

“Then I’d better finish you off here,” Sanji said, but the other chefs restrained him from attacking the Marine again. 

And then Luffy came falling from the ceiling with an old man in a chef’s hat. 

“It’s always something with him,” Lydia mused. “Isn’t it?”

“Oh yeah.” Nami giggled. “Definitely.”

“Boy…” Luffy said, sitting up. “That startled me.”

“Owner,” one of the chefs asked. “what are you doing?”

“Oh dammit!” the old guy in the chef hat said, looking up at the hole in the ceiling. “The ceiling of my restaurant. It’s your fault, you brat!”

“You broke it yourself!” Luffy argued back.

“What are you doing Owner!” One of the chefs attempting to restrain Sanji said. “You can do that later! Please stop, Sanji.”

“Hey, Sanji.” The owner said, walking over to the blond. “Are you going on a rampage in the restaurant again, you idiot?”

“Shut up, you damn geezer!” Sanji said. 

“This is better than a novel,” Lydia said. “Or any theater production…”

“Let’s find a seat,” Nami said. “I think this is going to go on for a while.”

And it did, last a while that is. Lydia rested her chin on her palm as a Marine was shot by their starving captive. The Pirate, some guy from a powerful East Blue Crew, certainly looked close to death. He ordered food, Patty, the cook who believes the customer is king, only believes those who can pay for food count. So now, Patty was beating up a man was half dead with starvation. 

“I am not spending any of my emergency savings here,” Lydia said, as Patty, the despicable chef, dragged the starving man outside. “I’m heading back to the ship.”

“But we’ll need the boat…” Nami said.

“That’s fine,” Lydia said. “I’ll swim.”

She wasn’t staying here. Best restaurant in East Blue or not, she refused to spend her meager savings in this place. After a showing like that, she doubted she’d be coming back.

* * *

Four days later and Luffy was still working as a chore boy for the Owner of Baratie. Lydia hadn’t returned to the restaurant since she left it, even though Nami got the two of them free meals from the blond chef named Sanji. Nami brought her leftovers, which Lydia appreciated, but the blue-haired young woman refused to step back into the restaurant. 

Still, four days and Lydia was feeling a bit like a sitting duck. Tasla had been following the hot-air balloon, so figuring out she was in the East Blue now should be easy. All the other Shinobi had to do was pass by islands until their trackers were in the range of each other. Staying still always lead to Tasla finding her sooner. Lydia gripped her chain-sickle, fearing the tracker in her thigh would start beeping at any second. But it didn’t, and Lydia wondered what it could mean. Tracking was Tasla’s specialty, so what was taking her so long? 

She could still feel the tracker in her thigh, a constant reminder of her betrayal, and the consequences of that choice. She knew Tasla wasn’t dead because under her senbon pouch and hidden by bandages, the red light of the tracker continued to glow. 

Would she be kicked off the crew when they found out she had a bomb in her leg? When they found out she was a walking death sentence? When Tasla came for her head? When they found out she had betrayed her Clan? Why did Luffy even want her here? Why did she stay?

“Why am I still alive?” That was the real question. She said she wanted to live, but why? It would be so much easier, for everyone involved, if she just removed the tracker and let the bomb detonate. She’d be dead, and no one would have to deal with the problems being around her caused. 

It would be so much easier...to just...end it.


	4. Memories of an Exiled Shinobi

A large battered galleon creaked and groaned as it neared the Baratie. Lydia watched it pass the Merry with a raised eyebrow. All that damage was impressive. She wondered what caused it. Standing on the deck, with Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, they watched as customers fled screaming from the Baratie.

“H-hey...wh-what the hell is going on in there?” Usopp asked.

“We’ll see when we go in there,” Zoro said.

“What! Are you serious?” Usopp panicked. 

“Oh? Are you scared?” 

“Wha...don't be silly!”

Lydia rolled her eyes at the boys and turned her attention to the battered ship. It didn’t seem like there was anyone there. It was quiet, really quiet. And then an explosive sound, a bright flash of light, and the Captain of the damaged ship came flying out of the Baratie.

“Well, that’s not concerning at all…” Lydia tapped her fingers on the bladed end of her chain-sickle. “Not concerning at all.”

* * *

Lydia stayed on the Merry while Zoro and Usopp went to check on Luffy. Nami was lost in thought and had stolen one of the bounty hunter duo’s wanted posters. Lydia didn’t feel right, leaving the navigator alone with such heavy thoughts on her mind. But she didn’t know how to help, and unless Nami actually asked or said something, then there wasn’t anything Lydia could do. Beyond doing her best to show her support at least.

The purple-eyed girl was watching the Baratie, the fight inside caused a lot of noise and smoke, when Nami walked up behind her. 

“I didn’t mind it...sharing a room with you,” Nami said. “It was nice…” before pushing her overboard. 

Lydia slammed the bladed end of her chain-sickle into the side of the Merry and held on tight as Yosaku and Johnny were sent overboard as well. They got their barrings about them and looked at her. 

  
The shinobi smirked, brought her finger to her lips, _ ‘shh,’ _ pointed at the deck and slowly shook her head, _ ‘don’t tell Nami’ _ , then waved them over to the Baratie _ ‘shoo, go that way’ _ . Hopefully, they got her message. 

* * *

Being a stowaway was not a new experience for Lydia. Even before her exile, she would stowaway on ships simply because the Mission she’d been sent on required it. Being a stowaway on what was techinally her ship, as she was a member of the crew, now that was new. 

Lydia waited until Nami was busy in the galley before she climbed back onto the ship. She then made her way to the men's’ cabin and settled in for a very long and very unplanned Lunar Ritual. As a period of meditation, self-reflection, and fasting, Nami would not find any clue Lydia had returned to the ship while they sailed to wherever it was that Nami was taking them. Unless, for whatever reason, Nami decided to visit the men's’ cabin. Which was honestly quite unlikely. 

So Lydia sat, alone in the men's’ cabin, her eyes closed and her breathing calm. The gentle sway of the Merry, the sounds of the ocean. The faint smells of sweat, and stink that was uniquely Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro. Not the best place for meditation, but it was oddly comforting anyway. 

This crew is making me weird, Lydia thought, before she closed her eyes and remembered.

* * *

She was in a small dark room. A prisoner’s cell. It had no windows, no light, no food or water. The door would not open, there were no cracks for light to slip through. Lydia sat on the stone floor, breathing through her panic. Time lost all meaning in the dark. Sitting there, alone, as her imagination played tricks on her she decided she had to do something. Anything, to keep herself sane.

_ “Hush now - my story, close your eyes and sleep Waltzing the waves, diving the deep, stars are shining bright the wind is on the rise whispering the words of long lost lullabies~” _so Lydia sang while the walls slowly crept closer. 

From one lullaby to another, until she had sung the five songs she knew and started over. The shadows got darker, the room got smaller, but she kept singing.

_ “Though the world may try to define you, it can’t take the light that’s inside you so don’t you dare try to hide, let your fears fade away~” _ The stones pressed in on her from all sides, even as she struggled to push them back, her voice straining as tears pooled in her eyes.

_ “I wish to see this world through my own eyes~” _Her knees to her chest, her head bowed, her arms crossed on her chest, as small as she could get, but still the walls pressed in on her. 

_ “Little child, be not afraid the rain pounds harsh against the glass, like an unwanted stranger there is no danger” _ The squish of her skin, _ “I am here tonight,” _ the creak of her bones. _ “Little child, be not afraid” _ She could feel her toes break, _ “though thunder explodes and lightning flash-” _ and the creak of her spine as she was pushed back and down and the pressure on her shoulders kept increasing. 

Either her neck would snap or her spine would give out, or her ribs would be crushed. Breathing was already a struggle, but she refused to give in. She kept singing until she couldn’t, then kept the words at the forefront of her mind, blocking out the pain or fear or panic. She would not break, not here, not now.

* * *

“They’ve labeled us traitors Lydia,” Tasla said, burying her hands in her long purple hair. 

“I know,” Lydia said, leaning against the wall. The stone walls of their prison cell brought back a suffocating feeling, but she could see the candle lights and see Tasla through the bars. Lydia didn’t have any reason to resist her exile. Sure, losing her Clan Name would suck but it wasn’t that much of a loss all things considered. 

“I’m never going to see my brothers and sisters again…” Tasla said.

While Lydia didn’t have any ties holding her to the Clan anymore, Tasla did. Her younger siblings had always been Tasla’s driving force. The motivation she used to push herself beyond her limits in training. To get stronger, faster, to fight smarter. While Lydia was looking forward to exploring the world outside their little island, Tasla would resent her exile. She’d never be allowed to see or speak with her siblings again...unless... 

“Have you had your trial yet?” Lydia asked. 

“No…”

“Ask for a Hunter’s Exile if you can.”

“A hunter’s exile? What’s that?”

“One of my Grandmother’s Forgiveness trials. They’ll assign you a target, and if you manage to kill them then your crimes will be forgiven. Or something like that, that’s what Grandmother told me.”

“A hunter’s exile huh…”

* * *

Lydia stretched, her body numb from the lack of movement. She kept her breathing measured, and her footsteps light, as she made her way towards the kitchen. She could feel her body protesting her recent Ritual, the lack of food and drink had been necessary though. Nami had pushed her overboard for a reason, so any sign that Lydia had still been on the ship could’ve gone badly. 

Stepping into the kitchen for a glass of water, some fruit, and a few cashews while Nami prepared to leave the ship was a simple matter of timing. Deciding between following the Navigator or sticking around for the rest of the crew was much harder.

Then her thigh beeped. 

“Nice weather isn’t it?” Lydia asked, turning to face the familiar gray eyes of her first friend.

“I’m sorry,” Tasla said, flicking open her war-fans. “I can’t let you keep getting away.”

“I know.”

Jumping off the ship, Lydia prepared to run. If they fought near the Merry, the poor ship would get too damaged. So the blue-haired teenager ran away from the dock, her purple-haired hunter following with ice-cold eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I'm not sure if this turned out the way I wanted it too but... I like it enough. Thoughts?

Fighting Tasla was always a challenge. Not because she was a formidable opponent, though that was true, it was because of how complicated their situation was. Lydia usually found a way to escape when Tasla showed up, fleeing to the next island or sea as fast as she could. She didn't want to kill Tasla, but she also didn't want to die. She fleeing until she found a loophole in their Exile that'd give them both what they want...that was her plan. It had been a very good plan until she crashed onto Merry, and met the Strawhats and kinda sorta made friends with them. The whole thing with Nami was a bit confusing but Lydia wasn't too worried about it. Not like the redhead stabbed her in the back with her own weapon...

"You won't escape this time Lydia!" Tasla swung her fans, the blast of air knocking Lydia off her feet and into a building.

"That's what you say every time Tassie," Lydia said, pushing off the wall and diving around the corner behind the building. Tasla's scream of rage as she gave chase brought a smile to her face.

Lydia darted through the village, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, slipping from one alley to the next, around buildings and through crowds until she came to the other side where she stumbled onto a dirt path.

"Lydia?" Zoro asked, and the bluenette jumped to her feet with a grin. 

"Zoro! Wonderful to see you again," she said, glancing behind her and bouncing on her toes. "Which direction did you come from?"

Zoro pointed in front of them, towards the trees and the forest, so Lydia nodded. "I gotta run! Thanks for the directions Zoro!" and then she ran down the dirt path, in the opposite direction Zoro pointed, as Tasla jumped onto the dirt path behind her. The swordsman watched as the two ran off into the distance, the one with large fans slicing through the trees that lined the dirt path while the other dodged and darted into another village. 

"First Nami, now Lydia," he sighed, turning towards the village Lydia had just come from. "What a mess..." 

Lydia didn't have time to think, between Tasla's next attack and Nami standing unaware a few feet in front of it. She jumped, pushing Nami out of the way and choking back her pain. A large gash across her back, cutting through the bandages around her chest and her scarf-top. She tore it off, untwisting it and pulling it over her head. 

"I'm your target Tasla!" Lydia said. "No one else!"

"Really? You kept running away, I could've sworn..."

Lydia pulled her three senbon from her thigh pack and tossed them at the gray-eyed shinobi. The thin needles tore through the War fan, one hitting the purple-haired teen in the forehead. Tasla plucked it out and dropped it onto the ground, ignoring the blood now trickling down her face.

"I'm your target Tasla." Then she was running down the dirt path, dodging attacks left and right as Tasla gained speed behind her.

The two crashed into Arlong Park with a bang, a blast of Tasla's War Fan knocking the bluenette into a crowd of Fishmen, pushing them into the pool. Lydia channeled her Haki into her feet, standing on the water and staring up at the building Tasla stood on. 

"Who the hell are you?" one Fishmen yelled.

"None of your business," Tasla said, swinging her fans up above her head. A tornado sprung to life between her fans, so Lydia ran into the building. Tasla released the tornado, tearing through the building as Lydia escaped through the back and into the woods. Behind them half the building was left in ruin, Fishmen were tossed around like ragdolls, and the pool drained into the cracks in the cement.

"Damned fucking humans," Arlong snarled. Then the doors were kicked down, and another group of Humans entered the Park. "Now what the hell do you want?"

"I'm gonna kick your ass!" the human in the strawhat said.

As if this afternoon couldn't get shitty enough. Arlong really hated humans.


End file.
